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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24444952">What is a hero, Shirou?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ofallgoodthings/pseuds/Ofallgoodthings'>Ofallgoodthings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/stay night &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dialogue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:48:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,578</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24444952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ofallgoodthings/pseuds/Ofallgoodthings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shirou and Socrates have a chat.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What is a hero, Shirou?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So my class had to write a Socratic Dialogue. It could be about anything and include anybody. I chose Shirou for the character and what is a hero for the topic. Upon reading it my friend said I should post it as a fanfiction. I agreed and here we are. Full disclosure, I was more focused on getting a good grade then I was on getting Shirou's character accurate. All evidence cited comes from actual legends I could find and not from nasuverse canon, so indiscrepancies abound. I am open to some constructive criticism so long as it does not pertain to anything I may have gotten wrong about Shirou character as, once again, good grade&gt;accuracy. If you do feel the need to criticize Shirou feel free, just do it reasonably.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shirou Emiya is the protagonist of Fate/Stay Night. Left an orphan after a horrific catastrophe he is adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, the other survivor of the event and someone who Shirou idolizes as a hero. Some ten years later and he finds himself caught up in the Holy Grail War, a span of two weeks during which seven historical and mythological heroes are summoned to fight over the Holy Grail, a nigh omnipotent wish granting device. Some of the figures summoned include: King Arthur, Hercules, and Cu Chulainn. Shirou takes part in the War for a chance to become a “hero of justice.”<br/>
This dialogue takes place at the Emiya estate during a brief break in the War. Socrates serves as one of the summoned heroes, seeking to understand and challenge Shirou’s beliefs on heroism.</p><p>Socrates: Tell me Shirou why is it that you have entered into this war?<br/>
Shirou: I want to become a hero of justice.<br/>
Socrates: Then tell me, what is a “hero of justice”?<br/>
Shirou: Someone who saves everybody.<br/>
Socrates: Then tell me, what does it mean to save someone?<br/>
Shirou: To save their lives.<br/>
Socrates: Very well then. Tell me who are some of the heroes that have been summoned to compete for the Grail’s favor?<br/>
Shirou: Cu Chulainn, King Arthur and Hercules, to name a few.<br/>
Socrates: Tell me of the Hound of Ulster, if you will. I will readily admit my knowledge of Cu Chulainn is quite meager.<br/>
Shirou: Cu Chulainn was the child of the Irish war god, Lu, trained by the goddess Scathach to protect Ulster during its invasion by the Queen of Connacht, Medb.<br/>
Socrates: Excellent, I must admit your knowledge of Ireland's Child of Light is astounding for one so young. But tell me did he not kill his own son, Concalla, and his battle brother, Ferdiad?<br/>
Shirou: Yes.<br/>
Socrates: Does this not sway his title of “hero”, he readily killed them both, did he not?<br/>
Shirou: Yes, but they refused to give up the fight. Concalla’s mother made Concala swear to never back down from a fight, else he shame his father's name, and Ferdiad was forced to engage in single combat with his brother in arms.<br/>
Socrates: So he was unable to protect those he cared about?<br/>
Shirou: Yes.<br/>
Socrates: So a hero is one who saves those he can?<br/>
Shirou: Yes.<br/>
Socrates: Good. Tell me, what did King Arthur do. I must say his mythology most eludes my understanding and knowledge, it appears as though he garnered a reputation as being a just and righteous king if I understand correctly.<br/>
Shirou: You do. He was the ideal king, he united Britain against the Saxons, quested after various mythical treasures, and ushered in a new age of chivalric deeds and duties. He reinforced the idea of Britain as a great nation.<br/>
Socrates: Would you call him a hero?<br/>
Shirou: Yes.<br/>
Socrates: But don't his actions in the end of his life disprove his claim to the title of hero. After all, did he not kill his son, Mordred? After all there was no prior designation preventing him saving Mordred.<br/>
Shirou: Yes, but he did not have any other choice. Mordred was plotting a coup that endangered the lives of Arthur's subjects.<br/>
Socrates: So a hero is one who saves those he can and kills to save those threatened by others?<br/>
Shirou: Yes, I believe that is correct.<br/>
Socrates: Tell me of Hercules, I will confess I believe I am knowledgeable on the greatest hero in the Greek pantheon, but times change, do they not? Tell me what is the nature of Hercules myth nowadays?<br/>
Shirou: Hercules was the son of Zeus who was pursued by Hera due to Zues’ affair with Hercules’ mother. He was forced to work for Eurystheus, king of Tiryns, to make up for the madness set upon him by Hera that drove him to murder his wife. In order to be cleared of his crime he had to perform twelve tasks for Eurystheus.<br/>
Socrates: It appears as though it has not changed since I was among the living. Though please, do an old man a favor, what were Hercules’ tasks?<br/>
Shirou: Hercules tasks were: to slay the Nemean Lion, kill the Hydra, capture the Cerynitian Hind, capture the Erymanthian Boar, clean the Stables of Augeius in a day, drive away the Stymphalian Birds who were ravaging the countryside, bring back the Cretan Bull from Knossos, bring back the Mares of Diomedes, bring back Hippolyte's Girdle, bring back the cattle of Geryon, bring back the Golden Apples of Hesperides, and finally bring back Cerberus.<br/>
Socrates: It appears your knowledge outways mine, where I asked for pennies you appear to have given me dimes. Tell me, if a man steals from another for personal gain is this the action of a good man?<br/>
Shirou: No, this is the action of a criminal.<br/>
Socrates: But did not Hercules steal for personal gain. The Girdle of Hippolyte was a possession of the Amazons and yet he deceived and stole it from them. Does this not make him a criminal?<br/>
Shirou: No, he was given orders from the gods to do whatever Eurystheus asked of him.<br/>
Socrates: So a hero must follow the orders of those put above them?<br/>
Shirou: Correct.<br/>
Socrates: Therefore a Hero is one who saves those he can, kills those who threaten others, and bows to authority?<br/>
Shirou: Correct.<br/>
Socrates: It appears we have our definition of a “hero of justice” but we seem to have made an oversight.<br/>
Shirou: And what might that be, as far as I can see we have found the necessary criterion for a hero, what more could possibly be needed?<br/>
Socrates: The oversight lies not within our definition, but in the nature of our time. Is not the Holy Grail War a battle for the Holy Grail fought by heroes of myth and legend?<br/>
Shirou: It is indeed.<br/>
Socrates: Then those summoned should be of a heroic nature, correct? They should fit within our definition of what being a hero is and implies?<br/>
Shirou: Yes they should, I begin to see the quandary.<br/>
Socrates: As well you should. If the Holy Grail War is fought by Heroes then what am I doing here. My life contradicts all of our previous criteria for a hero. I do not believe I have saved a life, nor have I taken one, and does not my very death contradict what has been said of heroes following the orders of those above them. Was I not killed for my beliefs and  that varied and challenged the laws of Athens?<br/>
Shirou: You were, does this mean that all our previous work was in vain?<br/>
Socrates: Certainly not! We have reviewed and learned of the heroes of old have we not? Would you say that such knowledge was useless in the grand scheme of things?<br/>
Shirou: Well, no, but we are no closer to understanding what a hero is then when we started! In fact further! Before I defined a hero as one who saved everyone, yet you have saved no one!<br/>
Socrates: Do not lose heart, my boy. I fear you have misjudged this situation in its entirety, I believe that we are closer than ever to defining what a hero is.<br/>
Shirou: But how?<br/>
Socrates: All in due time. First, what do you know about me?<br/>
Shirou: You were a philosopher in ancient times who was executed for false beliefs concerning the gods. Not much is known of you specifically, but what is known is credited to Plato and his five dialogues.<br/>
Socrates: True, tell me, have you read the dialogues?<br/>
Shirou: Yes, they were assigned as English homework.<br/>
Socrates: Excellent, I have not yet had the pleasure of partaking in my student’s writing, so I will have to ask you to explain what was said in each.<br/>
Shirou: Well, in Euphyphro you were debating with, well, Euphyphro concerning the nature of piety.<br/>
Socrates: Excellent, and the next?<br/>
Shirou: Well, in Apology it was you before the court in Athens making your final case concerning your judgement.<br/>
Socrates: Please continue on till the end.<br/>
Shirou: In Crito, you debated whether it was right of you to escape or not during your transport to your, er, death. In Meno you argued and discerned what virtue was and in Phaedo you discussed and debated the soul and its death.<br/>
Socrates: Tell me, in these dialogues did I come to the truth of these matters?<br/>
Shirou: You did.<br/>
Socrates: And what did you learn?<br/>
Shirou: Lessons on how logical thought and arguments proceeded and the truth of certain matters.<br/>
Socrates: And what did you learn from the myth of Hercules?<br/>
Shirou: From Hercules’ legend I learned of the true strength of human spirit.<br/>
Socrates: And from Cu Chulainn?<br/>
Shirou: From Cu Chulainn’s myths I learned that with fame and glory, pain and suffering is gained simultaneously.<br/>
Socrates: Arthur?<br/>
Shirou: That might does not make right, it is only through unity and careful thought that rational decisions can be made.<br/>
Socrates: From each of these myths, stories and legends you learned from these heroes certain truths of the world. It strikes me that a hero is one whose story reveals truths of the world. Do you agree?<br/>
Shirou: I believe I do.<br/>
Socrates: Excellent! You said that you wanted to be a hero, then what will those in the future gleam from your story?</p>
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